Disney World Expand Airport Luggage Transfer Service To Arrivals
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Walt Disney World has confirmed that its Airport Luggage Transfer service is expanding this November. It’s not going to help UK visitors just yet, but it’s got the potential to make arriving in Orlando smother than ever for future UK guests staying on-site.
Beginning 18th November 2025, guests flying with Southwest Airlines into Orlando International Airport (MCO) can now skip baggage claim altogether if they want. Instead, checked luggage can travel straight from your departure airport to your Disney Value resort hotel. No waiting at luggage carousels, no hauling heavy bags, no fuss. Just an easy airport arrival without luggage hassle.
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What Is Airport Luggage Transfer?
Disney are now offering select guests the chance to have their checked bags collected at the airport, with on-site guests not needing to collect checked luggage after departing their flights. The service is called Airport Luggage Transfer and is operated by a third party provider called BagCheck.
The current expanded service is only available for guests staying at Value Resorts who fly domestically in the USA with the largest airline provider operating at MCO, Southwest Airlines.
All five Value resorts are participating in the Airport Luggage Transfer scheme:
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Disney’s Art of Animation
Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resorts.
Southwest Airlines customers staying on-site at Disney Value resorts who want to use the arrivals service will need to pre-register online between 30 and 5 days before departure. Bags will then be collected directly by the third party carrier, arriving at your resort within around four hours after landing.
This service rolled out in a test phase beginning 3rd April 2025, but was quickly expended and has now been expanded again. If this trial is successful, a further expansion is anticipated.
Here’s the official statement from Disney shared by Disney Tourist Blog about this expanding service:
Dear Guest,
We’re excited to share a new pilot program for guests flying Southwest Airlines into Orlando International Airport (MCO) and staying at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels. This convenient service lets you skip baggage claim and have your checked luggage delivered directly to your Disney Resort hotel.
The service will begin operating for flights arriving November 18, 2025 or later. If you’d like to take advantage of the service, your registration window opens 30 days prior to departure and closes 5 days prior to departure.
For more information and to register, click here.
Sincerely,
Walt Disney World Resort
Why This Matters For UK Guests
For now, the service only applies to Southwest Airlines, which does not fly directly from the UK. If you’re a UK guest connecting through a US city such as Chicago, New York or Dallas, and you’ve booked a stay in a Value resort, this could be a service worth trying out. Especially after a long-haul transatlantic flight with stops.
The fact that Disney have expanded into the Value resorts could be good news for UK visitors. If they continue to expand the service it is likely they could trial International baggage through the Value resorts too.
This service may be sparking some nostalgia for long-time Disney UK travellers. Before 2020, visitors could step off the plane and be in the magic instantly, with Disney handling luggage and transfers through the Magical Express. This new revival has hints of the much loved service, but don’t expect the Magical Express to return.
This convenient luggage handling service would add a new level of convenience and magic for International guests after long haul flights if it’s adopted on a larger scale. We’ll be watching as Disney iron out the logistics, and hopefully continue to expand.
Not A Service For International Flights
Unless you are a UK visitor flying into MCO domestically as part of a split stay or flight change, this is not going to affect you yet. However, if this service runs successfully, this is a service that may be part of your planning in the not too distant future.
Bringing back a taste of the old Magical Express era, this new and expanding service isa promising sign that stress-free arrivals could soon be on the horizon for UK holidaymakers heading to Walt Disney World.